Keynote Speakers

Laurentiu Nicolae,

Payload Lead at the European Space Agency (ESA), based at ESTEC in the Netherlands, within the Moon Exploration group.

Biography:

Laurentiu Nicolae is a Payload Lead at the European Space Agency (ESA), based at ESTEC in the Netherlands, within the Moon Exploration group. He holds a degree in Avionics and Aerospace Navigation from Politehnica University of Bucharest and has over nine years of experience in the space sector. Currently, he is involved in the development of multiple lunar payloads and systems. His work includes supporting verification, integration, and operations preparation for the PROSPECT project; contributing to the guidance, navigation, and control subsystem for the Argonaut Moon lander; leading payload development for the MAGPIE Moon rover; and serving as Technical Officer for the Moon UWB project on behalf of ESA.

Prof. Ala Sharaiha,

University of Rennes, France, Co-Head of the small Antennas team in Microwave Devices Department, IETR Research Laboratory (Institut d’Electronique et des Technologies du numéRique).

Biography:

Ala Sharaiha (Senior Member, IEEE) received the Ph.D. and Habilitation à Diriger la Recherche (HDR) degrees in telecommunication from the University of Rennes 1, France, in 1990 and 2001 respectively. Currently, he is a Full Professor at the University of Rennes and he Co-Head of the small Antennas team in Microwave Devices Department, IETR Research Laboratory (Institut d’Electronique et des Technologies du numéRique). He has graduated/mentored more than 45 Ph.D. students/postdocs and co-authored with them. He has authored or co-authored more than 550 journal and conference papers, concerning antenna theory, analysis, design and measurements. He holds 15 patents. His published works have been cited over 2500 times in Google Scholar. His current research interests include small antennas, broadband and UWB antennas, reconfigurable antennas, printed spiral and helical antennas, absorbers, innovative materials for antennas and antennas for mobile communications. He was the French delegate member of the European Association on Antennas and Propagation (EuRAAP) until January 2024 and is a member of the small antennas working group of EuRAAP. He is a senior member of the IEEE and of URSI and a reviewer for the IEEE APS, IEEE AWPL, the IET Letters and the IET Microwave Antennas Propagation. He was the conference Chairman of the 11th International Canadian Conference ANTEM (Antenna Technology and Applied Electro- Magnetics), held at Saint-Malo in France, 2005 as well as the 20th JNM (Journée National Microonde) in 2017.

Prof. Gheorghe Brezeanu,

National University of Science and Technology Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania

Biography:

Gheorghe Brezeanu (Life Member, IEEE) received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in electronic engineering from the Electronics and Telecommunications Faculty of the University “Politehnica” of Bucharest, Romania, in 1972 and 1981, respectively. He has been with the same Faculty since 1972, focusing on the development of semiconductor devices and integrated circuits. In 1992 he became a full Professor at the Department of Electronics Architecture, Circuits and Devices, within the Electronic and Telecommunications Faculty, teaching “Electronic Devices”, “Basic Electronic Circuits” and “Low-Power, Low-Voltage Analog ICs”. He was Scientific Chairman of the Faculty between 1996 and 2012 and has been Director of the Ph.D. School between 1996 and 2012. He is also Head of the Microsystems Master Program. His main area of research includes physics, modelling and fabrication of power and sensor devices on Si and SiC, and design and electrical characterization of low power analog ICs. He founded the Advanced Study Semiconductor Devices and Circuits Laboratory in 1995. This group was focused on research activities regarding design, fabrication and modelling of silicon carbide and diamond devices for snssors and power applications. He is the author or co-author of 19 books and more than 210 papers published in technical WOS journals and WOS and IEEE conference proceedings. He also holds 5 patents. Prof. Brezeanu was Chairman of the Electron Devices Society Romania Chapter from 1996 to 2008. He is a life member of the IEEE Electron Devices Society.